French Vinaigrette Dressing

Boulevard Richard Lenoir, Paris, June 2010

When Julie Child arrived in France for the first time in 1948, her first simple lunch of sauteed fish (sole meunière) and a salad with a vinaigrette dressing changed her life.  The flavors and tastes she experienced were nothing like anything she had experienced.

Many people focus on the sole meunière as the critical dish in Child's introduction to French cooking, but the simple vinaigrette was also part of the charm.  Today most Americans are used to various vinaigrettes such as basic vinegar and oil dressing or the spiced-up Italian dressing.  The basic French vinaigrette is nearly ubiquitous in Parisian restaurants though.  If you visit Paris, don't expect a choice of dressings.  Still, the basic vinaigrette is delicious and simple.  Here is the recipe:

French Vinaigrette Dressing

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix thoroughly.  Put on your fresh greens immediately before serving.  Key to a good salad is to toss and mix the dressing to lightly coat each leaf.  Do this in a bowl and then transfer the coated leaves to a serving plate or fresh bowl.  Unlike what you may get in some restaurants, there should not be a big, soupy glop of dressing on the bottom of your salad bowl/plate.  You may also find that your dressing needs more salt. Dressings are usually a bit too salty when you taste by themselves.  The saltiness goes well with the more bland lettuce.  And by no means use bland, tasteless, hybridized-for-shipment Iceberg lettuce. Yak!  The richer and darker the green color of your lettuce, the more rich the leaves are in vitamins.  Get a nice green or red leaf lettuce for your salad.  You'll love the difference.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes
Gluten Free:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  yes
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  yes

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.